Donaldson's Obscure Words - Official Thread

Post by **[Syl]** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 12:36 am

The Wounded Land, Chapter 9

Soon they were out in the center of the Mithil, riding the current under a red-wreathed sun and a cerulean sky. The warmer air made the water almost pleasant; and the pace of the River had slowed during the night, easing the management of the raft. Yet the sun's aurora nagged at Covenant. Even to his superficial sight, it looked like a secret threat, mendacious and bloodthirsty. Because of it, the warm sunlight and clear sky seemed like concealment for an ambush.

Post by **Landwaster** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 12:59 am

A-ha! Thanks Syl!

Post by **[Syl]** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 1:36 am

'Twas nothing.

Post by **Dragonlily** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 3:13 am

Great quote, though.

the warm sunlight and clear sky seemed like concealment for an ambush.

I love a well-turned paradox.

Post by **W.B.** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 4:18 am

I, too, agree, great paragraph. Cerulea, BTW, if you don't have it, is azure or sky blue.

Post by **amanibhavam** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 9:13 am

Cerulean comes from Latin _coeruleus_.

I do not know, if "Rede" fits - is there an English word "rede"? _reden_ means "to talk" in German, and I always assumed SRD got this word from there.

Post by **Roynish** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 11:20 am

These are new all from WGW: page ref. included.

menhirs: WGW-105

tor:WGW- 107

rue: WGW-108

somnolance-WGW-110

impercipience-WGW-116

effrontery: "But the water and the current remained indifferent, too cold to notice such stark effrontery." WGW: 125

immedicable- WGW-127

cromlechs-WGW-131

censers-WGW-137

encyst-WGW-155

paroxysm-WGW-220

percipience-WGW-222

caterwaual-WGW-224

crenallated-WGW-225

OK just add them for now, regards Roynish

Post by **Roynish** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 11:27 am

edit

caterwaul: The silent caterwaul and torment of the vegetation blocked the ground at every step; but the company found a way through it

Post by **Dragonlily** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 11:43 am

Roynish wrote:caterwaul: The silent caterwaul and torment of the vegetation blocked the ground at every step

Superb metaphors.

Caterwaul, from dictionary.com:
To cry or screech like a cat in heat.
To make a shrill, discordant sound.

Not that my cats would ever make such a sound. They are good maiden aunts.

Post by **amanibhavam** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 12:58 pm

menhirs: WGW-105

** AFAIK upright stone-slabs indicating graves

tor:WGW- 107

** maybe German "gate" (I don't have the book with me)

rue: WGW-108

somnolance-WGW-110

** rather somnolence - medical term, sleepiness, a state of mind in the scale towards coma

impercipience-WGW-116

** percipience "perception" impercipience "state of not being able to perceive"

effrontery: "But the water and the current remained indifferent, too cold to notice such stark effrontery." WGW: 125

** insult

immedicable- WGW-127

** unhealable

paroxysm-WGW-220

** cramps, seizures

percipience-WGW-222

** as above

Good ol' SRD uses a lot of medical and Latin terms (his dad was a medic, right?)

Post by **Dragonlily** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 1:42 pm

Amani:

tor:WGW- 107

** maybe German "gate" (I don't have the book with me)

Dictionary.com:
A high rock or pile of rocks on the top of a hill.
A rocky peak or hill.

As in Glastonbury Tor, which I climbed in 1973. I still have a picture of it on my wall.

Post by **W.B.** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 7:01 pm

Rede is to explain or interpret.

Just to give the decision I made about proper names in my list: I stopped short of defining words that Donsldson created, such as eftmound, though both eft and mound are words, but I included things like treacher, creche, rede, and clave (interesting dual meaning there). I didn't want a glossary of Donaldson's names and titles, but where they were actual words, I snuck a few in. But the insanity had to stop somewhere.

There are already sites that go into sources and significances of the proper names in the Chronicles, so it may not be totally new information if it were added to this thread. But, if it were added, then all the info would be centrally located. On the other hand, kevinswatch.com already has an exhaustive glossary; maybe the derivations of the proper names could be added to that.

Post by **amanibhavam** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 7:28 pm

Cromlech Crom"lech (kro^m"le^k), n. W. cromlech; crom
bending or bent, concave + llech a flat stone; akin to Ir.
cromleac. (Archaeol.)
A monument of rough stones composed of one or more large ones
supported in a horizontal position upon others. They are
found chiefly in countries inhabited by the ancient Celts,
and are of a period anterior to the introduction of
Christianity into these countries.

Post by **amanibhavam** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 7:29 pm

Censer Cen"ser, n. For incenser, fr. OF. encensier, F.
encensoir, fr. LL. incensarium, incensorium, fr. L. incensum
incense. See Incense, and cf. Incensory.
A vessel for perfumes; esp. one in which incense is burned.

Note: The ecclesiastical censer is usually cup-shaped, has a
cover pierced with holes, and is hung by chains. The
censer bearer swings it to quicken the combustion.

Post by **amanibhavam** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 7:31 pm

crenellated
adj 1: having repeated square indentations like those in a
battlement; "a crenelated molding" syn: embattled,
crenelated, crenelate, crenellate, indented
2: (of a building) having turrets and battlements in the style
of a castle syn: battlemented, castellated, castled,
crenelated

Post by **W.B.** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 9:32 pm

Can someone tell me the context in which chrisum is used?

Okay, it's from the beginning of the thead, but I happened to find the word in TWL. Spelled "chrism," at least as far as I can tell. It's a consecrated oil, like what people might use at a baptism or something like that. As I recall, they were being attacked by something in the river, and beads of water rolled off its back like chrism.

Post by **Landwaster** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 4:16 am

Ok I've just updated the list, thanks to all who've added info in the previous posts. Looking good!

Post by **duchess of malfi** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 5:40 am

My son has been drilling and learning vocabulary words for the college boards, and I have been robbing your list, Landwaster.

Post by **Landwaster** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 1:50 pm

Share the wealth, that's what I say

Post by **W.B.** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 6:00 pm

And wealth there is! The other day I did a quick count of the words I have, and got over 400. Ouch, I had no idea.

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Donaldson's Obscure Words - Official Thread